Quasi i due terzi dei deputati sostengono il “diritto di decidere” dei Catalani nel quadro di un “processo democratico” · Al voto si potrebbe arrivare nella prossima legislatura 2012-2016 – Per il governo spagnolo il voto è illegale
28/09/2012
A wide majority of Catalan MPs (84 our of a total of 131 who were present in the session) yesterday passed a resolution that asks the Catalan government to call a vote on self-determination in the next parliamentary term (2012-2016). The resolution follows an announcement by Catalan premier Artur Mas, who last week said that no legal framework could be used “forever to cancel out the peaceful, democratic, majority will” of the Catalan people. Mas said this following a refusal by the Spanish government to grant Catalonia a wide fiscal autonomy, and after 1.5 million Catalans poured the streets of Barcelona demanding independence from Spain.
The resolution was supported by centre-right party Convergence and Union (CiU), centre-left Republican Left (ERC), green left Initiative for Catalonia (ICV), the coalition Catalan Solidarity for Independence (SI), plus two individual MPs: former FC Barcelona chairman Joan Laporta and Party of the Socialists’ member Ernest Maragall. Two parties voted against, both Spanish nationalists Popular Party (PP) and Citizens (C’s), while the Party of the Socialists (PSC) abstained.
The text of the resolution argues that it has been impossible to “fit” Catalonia within the Spanish state during the last 30 years, and thus Catalonia has to “start a new era based on the right to decide”. This right, the text reads, must be done within the framework of a “democratic process” in permanent “dialog with the international community, the European Union and the Spanish government” so that the Catalan people can freely choose its future.
Government of Spain: any referendum will be stopped
Meanwhile, PP-led government of Spain considers that a vote on Catalan self-determination is illegal and unconstitutional as long as it is only voted by Catalans (Madrid considers that all Spaniards should vote instead). According to Spanish government spokeswoman Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, any try to hold the vote will be raised to the Spanish Constitutional Court. Its judges are likely to stop the vote.
Artur Mas has today replied that Madrid has no real power to stop the vote and that, in any case, things would be better and easier if the Spanish government accepted to have “dialogue and negotiation” on the issue.
The Catalan Statute of Autonomy allows the Catalan government to call “popular consultations”, but referendums themselves are an exclusive power of Madrid.
Snap elections in November
In order to get a democratic mandate on the vote on self-determination, Artur Mas decided Tuesday to call for an early election to the Catalan parliament. The election will be held on November 25th. CiU, ERC, ICV and SI will go to polls with the commitment to hold the vote. The four political parties are expected to win a large majority.
Fonte: Nationalia 29-09-2012
Osservatorio sulle Politiche Comunitarie in tema di Minoranze (OsPCoM) 